Breast milk is an important nutrient for babies that helps prevent illness. But some mothers are unable to produce the milk.
Those mothers turn to breast milk donors.
The Okanagan鈥檚 first breast milk drive will be held June 21 in Penticton, West 琉璃神社, 琉璃神社 and Vernon.
Tiffany Jones-Waite will donate milk in 琉璃神社 for the first time.
She decided to become a donor after her daughter, Finley Waite, was born prematurely.
鈥淚 thought, well I can kind of give back to the other moms that need it.
She believes the Okanagan should have its own donor site.
鈥淚 wanted to donate sooner but to get the milk out there you either have to be going down to the Coast or you have to ship it, and shipping it is extremely expensive because you have to use dry ice to keep it at a cool temperature,鈥� she said.
鈥淲hen mothers are unable to produce enough of their own milk, pasteurized donor human milk is the next recommended option (especially for sick and premature babies,)鈥� reads a BC Women鈥檚 Provincial Health Bank release.
鈥淗uman milk has properties that can鈥檛 be replicated in formula, helping prevent serious illness and even newborn death from a complication called necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease of the intestines.鈥�
To donate, donors must be screened beforehand which includes form completions and blood tests.
The milk donations will be collected and shipped to Vancouver, said Frances Jones, coordinator of lactation services of the BC Women鈥檚 Provincial Milk Bank.
Currently, there are 24 milk depots around the province. The milk bank is always looking for donors.
The goal of the Okanagan milk drive is to raise awareness about the provincial milk bank.
The milk banks will be held June 21 at at Jumping Beans in Penticton from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Westside Maternity in West 琉璃神社 and 琉璃神社 Malachite Midwives from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and at the Vernon Boys and Girls Club from 9 to 10 a.m.
For more: www.okanaganbreastfeeding.org.
Interested mothers are asked to contact the BC Women鈥檚 Provincial Milk Bank at 604-875-3743 or Lindley Granger at 250-460-2515. For more information go to www.bcwomens.ca (and search milk bank) or www.okanaganbreastfeeding.org.
